Robot drive with radially adjustable sensor connection

Abstract

A substrate transport apparatus including a drive section and a first movable arm assembly. The drive section includes a first motor. The first motor includes a stator and a passive rotor. The first movable arm assembly is connected to the first motor. The substrate transport apparatus is configured for the first movable arm assembly to be positionable in a vacuum chamber with the passive rotor being in communication with an environment inside the vacuum chamber.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. An apparatus comprising:
 a position sensor read head; 
 a casing connected to the read head, where the casing is configured to be sealingly connected to a motor assembly housing to seal an aperture through the housing for keeping an environment inside the housing separated from an environment outside the housing at the aperture, where the casing is configured to isolate at least a portion of the read head from the environment inside the housing, and where the read head is configured to sense a reference member in the environment inside the housing; and 
 an adjustable connector comprising the casing, where the adjustable connector is configured to adjustably connect the read head to the motor assembly housing and lock a location of the read head relative to the motor assembly housing at one of a number of different locations, where the adjustable connector is configured to seal the aperture through the housing for keeping the environment inside the housing separated from the environment outside the housing at the aperture, where the adjustable connector is configured to allow position of the read head on the housing to be adjusted from outside the housing, where the adjustable connector is configured to allow the read head to be radially adjusted on the housing to the number of different locations without breaking the seal with the housing at the aperture. 
 
     
     
       2. An apparatus as in  claim 1  further comprising a seal on the casing to surround the aperture and sealingly connect the casing to the motor assembly housing. 
     
     
       3. An apparatus as in  claim 1  where the casing is configured to completely isolate the read head from the environment inside the housing when the casing is mounted to the housing. 
     
     
       4. An apparatus as in  claim 1  where the casing is configured to not isolate an active component of the read head from the environment inside the housing when the casing is mounted to the housing, and configured to isolate another part of the read head from the environment inside the housing when the casing is mounted to the housing. 
     
     
       5. An apparatus as in  claim 1  where the adjustable connector comprises a removable connector for removably connecting the casing to the motor assembly housing. 
     
     
       6. An apparatus as in  claim 1  where the read head is an inductive read head, and where the apparatus comprises the reference member as a disk of solid metal configured to be sensed by the read head. 
     
     
       7. An apparatus as in  claim 1 , where the casing comprises metal which is configured to be sealingly connected to the housing with a compliant seal. 
     
     
       8. An apparatus as in  claim 1  where the adjustable connector is configured to axially allow the read head to be adjusted on the housing without breaking the seal with the housing at the aperture. 
     
     
       9. An apparatus as in  claim 1  where the read head is configured to project through the aperture from an outside of the housing, past an inside surface of the housing, with an active component of the read head located inside the housing at least partially past the inside surface of the housing. 
     
     
       10. An apparatus as in  claim 1  where the casing comprises a head section which is larger than the aperture and a shaft section which extends through the aperture, where the head section is located configured to be mounted to an exterior side of the housing. 
     
     
       11. An apparatus comprising:
 a position sensor read head; and 
 an adjustable connector configured to adjustably connect the read head to a motor assembly housing and lock a location of the read head relative to the motor assembly housing at one of a number of different locations, where the adjustable connector is configured to seal an aperture through the housing for keeping an environment inside the housing separated from an environment outside the housing at the aperture, where the read head is configured to read a reference member located in the environment inside the housing, where the adjustable connector is configured to allow position of the read head on the housing to be adjusted from outside the housing, and where the adjustable connector is configured to allow the read head to be radially adjusted relative to the housing and locked at one of the number of different radial locations without breaking the seal with the housing at the aperture. 
 
     
     
       12. An apparatus as in  claim 11  where the adjustable connector comprises a casing connected to the read head and fasteners configured to clamp a portion of the casing towards the housing, where the adjustable connector is configured to allow the casing to be adjusted on the housing to thereby adjust the read head relative to the housing. 
     
     
       13. An apparatus as in  claim 11  where the adjustable connector is configured to allow the location of read head with respect to the reference member to be adjusted without breaking the seal at the aperture between the environment inside the housing and the environment outside the housing. 
     
     
       14. An apparatus as in  claim 11  where the adjustable connector comprises a seal configured to surround the aperture at an exterior side of the housing, and where the adjustable connector is also configured to allow movement axially and/or angular relative to the reference member while maintaining the seal at the aperture between the environment inside the housing and the environment outside the housing. 
     
     
       15. An apparatus as in  claim 11  where the adjustable connector comprises a casing connected to the read head, where the casing comprises holes configured to receive projections of the housing, where the holes are larger than the projections to allow the casing to move on the projections, and further comprising fasteners to lock the position of the casing on the housing. 
     
     
       16. An apparatus as in  claim 11  comprising a casing connected to the read head, where the casing is configured to be sealingly connected to the motor assembly housing to seal the aperture through the housing for keeping the environment inside the housing separated from the environment outside the housing at the aperture, and where the casing is configured to isolate at least a portion of the read head from the environment inside the housing. 
     
     
       17. An apparatus as in  claim 11  where the read head is an inductive read head, and where the apparatus comprises the reference member as a disk of solid metal configured to be sensed by the read head. 
     
     
       18. An apparatus as in  claim 11  where the adjustable connector is a removable connector including a casing on the read head, where the removable connector is configured to removably connect the read head at the aperture through the motor assembly housing, where the connector plugs the aperture through the housing and to seal with the motor assembly housing for keeping the environment inside the housing separated from the environment outside the housing at the aperture, and where the removable connector is configured to allow the read head to be unplugged from the housing by pulling the read head outward from the aperture.